


Till Next Time

by Toponemuffin



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toponemuffin/pseuds/Toponemuffin
Summary: Erza secretly watches and admires a young man who's kindness despite being stuck in slavery was like a candle in the dark.
Relationships: Erza Scarlet/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	Till Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> Just my first crack at writing fanfic for Fairy Tail hope y'all like it :D

Ezra looked over as her group moved from the work area to their prison cells. 

She saw a much larger group of slave children in their cells. It was mostly composed of kids even smaller than her, except for one.

Two twin children no older than four or five were looking at their empty bowls with tears in their eyes, holding their empty stomachs. 

Then a blond boy, just about Erza's age walked over. He kneeled down in front of them and asked.

"Aria, Jacob, what's wrong?" The young boy asked with his concern written all over his face.

"We, we, we ate all our food and, and, and…" the boy twin with brown hair, Jacob, cried.

"We're still, still, still... hungry!" And what looked like his twin sister, Aria, joined him in crying as she held her stomach.

Both of their faces look like they were suffering terribly with the strained look of discomfort. The young blond simply placed his hands on their heads and gave them a pat. 

"Don't worry guys, " he cheerfully announced as he reached over to his side and set a tray down. It had soup, a small personal sized loaf of bread and water, he then pushed the tray over to them.

"How about I get this glass of water, you can both split the soup and bread, kay?" He asked ripping the bread in half and extend it out to the twins.

"B-but what about you Kai?" Jacob asked with snot coming down his nose.

"Y-you need to eat too Kai." Aria chimed in with tears still trailing down her face.

"It's okay really guys. I'm more thirsty than anything else." Kai smiled and tried to convince the kids to eat until his stomach roared loud enough the twins could hear.

"Heh, plus don't you know it's my job as the big kid to look after you little kids? I don't need to eat so much because I have plenty of energy, it's a perk of growing up big and strong!" Kai tried again to convince the kids and gave them a thumbs up and a proud smile along with it 

"B-b-but" the kids tried to argue but before they could Kai put his hands on their heads again.

"Trust me okay? Just go ahead and dig in. So you can get bigger and stronger! That way when you're out of here you'll be plenty ready to find your family. Okay?" 

"K-kay…" the two twins replied in unison before closing their eyes and eating up the food Kai gave them.

Kai just took a seat against the wall in an empty section of their cell. He looked over, feeling a gaze on him and those in his cell. 

"Kai! Can you tell us a story tonight? Please! Please!" All the younger kids in the cell spoke together. Everyone is trying to get a story out of the young man.

"Heh, alright guys. How about you all finish up your food first. Then I'll start the story." Kai said to them with a grin. 

"His voice is so calm and relaxing to the kids, it's a pleasantness to the whole experience for the kids," Erza thought as she observed them. 

"Hey get going you damn brats!" One of the guards ordered and whipped at Erza and her group of slaves. 

As the days went by Erza always took any chance she got to watch Kai take care of the rest of the kids. She could feel herself being drawn to watch them, to watching him, watching Kai. He was like an older brother to all of the kids. Slowly it became the highlight of her day. Always sharing his food, taking care of anyone that gets hurt in whatever way he could and always telling them stories. Then one day…

"Well, we need to fit more kids in the cells so you're getting new 'roommates'. Move-in you, little idiots!" The guard yelled as he whipped Kai and the younger kids into Erza and Jellal's group's cell.

"Make nice before you all get to work in a while." The guard snickers evilly and leaves the cell.

"Oh great, we're stuck with a bunch of kids. All they're gonna do is just slow us down!" The pointed nose Sawyer complained 

"Don't worry. I promise I'll make up for whatever they can't do, so there's no need to worry about being slowed down." Kai pleaded and defended his group of kids.

"What?" Jellal looked at Kai and observed Kai's body. He looked weak, exhausted but smiled peacefully.

"You expect us to believe you can keep up with the quota that these brats can't do?" Sawyer asked.

"He can do it!" Jacob hollered at Sawyer loudly and pointing his clenched fist up!

"Yeah! Big bro Kai always makes sure we meet our quota! But he won't have to for long, when we get big he won't have to help us so much." Aria added.

Quickly the other kids both defended and praised Kai. They kept calling him their 'older brother' or 'big bro'. Making him embarrassed and rub the back of his neck while chuckling.

"They really think highly about him, " Erza thought while observing the group of kids and how they defend the young blond. They respect him, they looked up to him, that much was obvious.

Kai tried to ask them (not too much avail) when he took a moment and saw the crimson-haired girl looking at him. The two made eye contact, locking eyes making Kai smile as he walked over to her.

"Hey, you're the one that watches us huh?" Kai asked.

"Huh?" Erza hesitantly asked.

"I was sure his cell was like ours. So, how does he know?" Erza thought in a panic.

"Well, after having someone looking at us every day, at the same time, kind of routine. I guess I just recognized the feeling of your gaze when I felt you look at me just now." Kai's smile wouldn't budge and he extended his hand out.

"I'm glad I can put a face to that gaze. Kai, Kai Elio." 

"Er-Erza, Erza Scarlet." Erza took Kai's hand and shook it. 

"His hands are so rough, but gentle too." Erza thought. "His grip is strong even though I never see him eat his food.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Erza Scarlet. I hope we get along." Kai said happily.

The young blue-haired Jellal looked over at the two talking. He marched on over and pulled Erza's hand.

"Erza, Rob said we should get everyone ready for work. Come on,” Jellal demanded and pulled Erza away from Kai, who just stood there smiling. 

The rest of the kids were getting along and introducing themselves to Erza’s group. Kai was able to quickly befriend everyone, especially after all his kids talked him up so much.

(a week later)

Some time went by and Kai was just as nice to the new kids and took care of them too. He also quickly proved his promise as he alone was able to meet the quota of work his half of the group was responsible for. Kai shared his lunch, dinner, and breakfast now as he shared it with Millianna and any other kid, he was only getting by with water alone. The likes of Simon and Wally Buchanan respected Kai for his constant good-hearted nature. 

But alone the one who was most affected by Kai wasn’t any of these people but instead the crimson red-haired girl, Erza. She saw how Kai was constantly attentive to everyone in need and at times this even included her. He managed to steal extra food from the guards without being caught a few times. Each time he gave the food he got secretly to the kids in his group but made sure to steal a strawberry or two for Erza, because the red color to them always reminded him of her. Kai was caring, protective and steadfast of her.

“I don’t know Rob,” Erza began talking, taking a seat next to the old and worn down slave, Rob.

“He’s a good kid Erza, and I can tell he cares a lot about everyone here.” Rob replied and looked down at the red haired slave. “Especially you.”

“But is it because…”Erza paused, unable to process her own thoughts.

“Poor girl is confused, but i can’t say that i don’t see why.” Rob thought to himself, “She not only has two noble boys who she looks up too, but this dire situation we’re all in...it only makes her feelings and thoughts about them even harder to decipher.”

One day though…

“Erza betrayed us!” Jellal yelled out! The children had proven victorious in the revolt they just had. The evil cult that had them prisoners were no longer in charge but Jellal had cast Erza away as a result of all this.

“Hmm?” Kai thought as he looked on and listened to Jellal. He had his arms closed and though he hid it, these accusations only made Kai angry. But not at Erza but at Jellal

“Listen clearly! Erza betrayed us! She used me as an excuse to form this revolt so she could find a way to escape!” Jellal yelled at the top of his lungs. 

“He’s lying…” Kai thought while continuing to observe Jellal’s speech.

“Erza just would never do anything like that. She loves us all too much to do something li…” Kai paused his painful thoughts “She loves YOU too much to do anything like that. It was because of that admiration in her eyes that she had when she spoke of you, it was because of that I helped.”

Kai turned around and left the huge group that was surrounding Jellal. Rather annoyed and angry, later that night he went on to do some investigating, he headed off towards where Jellal was being held captive. When he arrived he saw what looked more like a throne with the blue-haired Jellal waiting for him.

“I knew someone like you would never believe me,” Jellal said rather stoic.

“So tell me, what was it, Kai? What was it that gave me away? So that way next time no one else can catch on.” 

“The whole thing…” Kai responded with a calm voice. 

“Erza would never do that to us…” Kai paused from talking and began to approach Jellal’s throne. “no, she’d never do that to you Jellal!”

“Oh? Well, i knew it would’ve been you who could see through all this. But there was one thing I said that was true, Kai. She did escape from this eternal prison.”

“...” Kai refused to answer and only continued to approach. His head was tilted down and his eyes were covered by a shadow, while his usual smile was gone.

“She’s gone off the island and maybe headed towards the mainland. You can go see her if you’d like, you can leave the prison to Kai.” Jellal’s voice was smug, completely assured Kai was not a threat.

Kai reached Jellal and cocked his fist back before releasing a heavy right hook with all his strength! Suddenly an invisible barrier appeared and stopped Kai’s attack instantly! The recoil and feedback from the barrier sent Kai fling and essentially broke his right arm!

“Don’t you think I’m being fair? You can leave tonight and attempt to find her, isn’t that what you want?” Jellal whispered taunting Kai with a smile of his own.

“I’d never leave without the kids who depend on me!” Kai grabbed his arm and yelled in pain! “I told them I'd get them out of here! That hasn’t changed!”

“But it has changed Kai. It all changed the day you joined our group and met her. Matter a fact it changed even before then, back when she would watch you with the kids in your cell. I knew she’d be essential in getting rid of any threat to my plan. That includes both the cult and yourself.” Jellal cockily replied.

“See you are the only one here with enough influence to lead another revolt. But because of her, i have the perfect bait to lead you out of here. Because if you stay here and work as a slave till the day you drop dead, you will do so not once seeing her again. But you can leave now and at least ‘nobly’ try to find your love.”

Jellal got off his throne and approached Kai who was still gripping his right arm in pain...

“So? What will it be?”

“...” Kai couldn’t answer. He grits his teeth and tries to hold in the pain.

“Erza… don’t come back. Please. Stay away and forget about us, forget about this hell… Please Erza just forget about me.” Kai’s thoughts, his inner voice, were just filled with a hell-like pain. For the first time in all of his time in the tower, his will finally broke...


End file.
